Brackets are used to support circuit components during the assembly of integrated circuits on circuit boards, and to secure the circuit components to heat-dissipating surfaces used for heat transfer. For example, one type of prior art bracket is used to support a voltage regulator while the voltage regulator is secured to the circuit board during a wave-solder process. The bracket also secures the regulator to a heat-dissipating surface, such as the external casing of the circuit board, when a thread-forming screw is inserted through the heat-dissipating surface, the regulator, and the bracket. The leads of the regulator are inserted into corresponding holes in the circuit board until the knees of some of the leads contact the circuit board. The bracket is placed on the circuit board by inserting the bracket's feet through the corresponding slots in the circuit board. The bracket simultaneously traps the top edge of the regulator by engaging the top edge of the regulator with a hook located on the top edge of the bracket. The hook prevents the regulator from tipping away from the bracket, but the hook does not secure or clamp the regulator to the bracket. A hole in the bracket is engaged by the thread-forming screw, which also engages a corresponding hole in the regulator, to clamp the regulator to the heat-dissipating surface. Tabs on the bracket feet are twisted to stabilize the bracket on the circuit board prior to the wave-solder process.
In the prior art bracket described above, the hook necessitates additional operations to provide clearance in the heat-dissipating surface for the hook, which extends past the regulator and the edge of the circuit board. The manufacturer must either emboss an indentation or punch out a hole in the heat-dissipating surface to avoid interference between the hook and the heat-dissipating surface. Once the allowance for the hook is made in the heat-dissipating surface, the circuit board with the bracket requires special loading to ensure that the hook properly aligns with the indentation or hole. Additionally, the prior art bracket requires positioning the holes relatively close to the edge of the circuit board which requires special machining operations that can increase the cost of the circuit board.